Of French Perfume and the Boy Who Lived
by alicewonder26
Summary: Brooke just wants to get through the year and pass Potions without encountering any Gryffindors. Especially Gryffindor's named Harry Potter. But will she do when fate throws her right into his path?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything, but life has been difficult lately. Here is the first chapter of a two part story. I want to thank Glitterally for being my beta on this chapter. She is amazing. Go check her out. I have no idea when the second part will be done, but I am working on it. As always, I do not own HP. I am not JKR. Review if you wish!**

The lake was absolutely still, and a soft wind blew her thick hair gently. Her dark eyes kept their vigil on the water, as if she was searching for something in the darkest depths. She bit on her full lips, her back to the castle. She shifted her weight from one trainer to the other, her skirt swaying as she moved. Her school bag rested at her feet, and she closed her eyes as the wind continued to play with her hair.

She came out here almost every day, enjoying the silence and the views of the lake. It was the one part of her day that didn't involve pitying looks or whispers. She let out a large breath, her hands in her pockets of her robes, her fingers curled around her wand. She heard the distant clang of the bell and knew she should head to class. Potions. Professor Snape would be angry if she was late, and he hated taking points away from his own house.

She scooped up her bag and schooled her expression into a mask of indifference. She slipped into the school and made her way through the students, who parted as she strode to the dungeons. As she walked in, she spotted a flash of gold and red and sighed inwardly. Gryffindors. Of all the days to have double potions, she had it with Gryffindors. She found a seat in the back and took her things out, hoping no one would sit next to her. So far it worked in every class she'd had, but it looked like her luck was running out today.

Harry Potter slid into the seat next to her just as the final bell rang and Brooke had to fight the sigh that almost escaped her lips. Potter? Of all the potential Gryffindors she could have been stuck with, he was one she was hoping wouldn't grace the seat next to her. She kept her eyes on the board as Snape went about telling them which potion they would craft today. Amortentia.

Predictably, Hermione Granger's hand shot into the air. " Professor, we've already crafted this once before."

A sneer crossed the Professor's features, " I am aware, Miss Granger. I want to see you do it again."

Hermione's cheeks were tinged a pink color, but she was silent as the ingredients appeared on the board.

Snape's voice was brisk and to the point. "Work with your partner closely on this one. I expect you to brew the potion and write twelve inches on the properties it possess. Together."

Could this day get any worse? Now Brooke had to work with Potter and write an essay with him. She pressed her lips together and glanced at the board to get the correct ingredients. She walked back to the student's cupboard and grabbed the Ashwinder eggs, the powdered moonstone, the rose thorns and the peppermint. By the time she returned with the ingredients, Potter had already grabbed a cauldron.

The rest of the class went by quickly. Snape was going to assign extra inches to those who didn't have their potion brewed before the class ended and Brooke didn't want to have to write more than she had to. The less time she spent with people, the better. Luckily for her, the bell rang as the characteristic spirals began coming out of their cauldron.

Professor Snape stopped by our cauldron and gave a sharp nod. " Excellent work, Miss Scott. I can see having for a partner didn't hinder you at all. Have you smelled the potion yet?"

I shook my head. "No. I was waiting for Harry to smell first."

Snape nodded and moved on to the next row, and I turned to Harry. He was giving Snape a glare and quickly stopped when he noticed I was looking at him. He gave me an apologetic smile and leaned in to smell our potion.

A grin spread across his face as he closed his eyes a moment. "I smell treacle tart. Something woody, like the handle of my broomstick. And…"

His voice trailed off as he tried to identify the last smell. After several attempts, he shrugged his shoulders. "There's something else there, but I can't identify it. It smells incredible, but I'm not sure what it is." He shot me a look and gestured to the cauldron. It was my turn.

I pushed my hair back behind my ear and leaned in; I closed my eyes and took a deep breath over the cauldron. It was unlike anything I'd ever smelled before. I could make out two distinct smells, but the third was something I couldn't make out. I kept leaning over the cauldron, trying to figure it out. As I was leaned over, Dean Thomas bumped me from behind, and I started to lose my balance. Gravity pulled me quickly toward the potion.

I felt a pair of arms pull me back, hard. I fell back, landing on the unyielding cold stones below. I opened my dark eyes and saw emerald above me. Harry. He held out a hand and I slipped my smaller one into it. I could feel the calluses on his fingers from Quidditch against the softness of my skin. I gave him a soft smile, which he returned.

The class was emptying out quickly, so we bottled a sample and left it on Professor Snape's desk.

As we walked out, Harry asked, "When did you want to get together to write the essay?"

I bit on my lower lip a moment. "Um.. How about tomorrow? Library?"

Harry nodded, "Sounds good. See you then."

I arrived early at the library. I got a private study room, told Madam Pince I was expecting Harry and slipped my headphones out of my bag. Soon I was lost in my music as I worked away on our essay Maybe if I had it finished before Harry got here, I wouldn't have to spend so much time with a Gryffindor. I was so lost in my writing that I didn't notice Harry enter. I felt fingers on the back of my neck and reached for my wand slowly.

I turned around, my wand pointed at my assailant, only to discover it was Harry. I let out a large sigh, pulled a headphone out of my ear and set my wand down.

"Sorry." I gave him a soft smile.

Harry shook his head. "It's okay. I would have reacted the same way. How far have you gotten?"

I showed him what I had accomplished, and over the next couple of hours, I discovered Potter wasn't as dim as I was led to believe he was. In fact, he was pretty funny. We'd long finished our essay when he asked me what I smelled in the cauldron.

Harry's expression turned a bit serious as his eyes met mine. "What did you smell, Scott? You never told me."

I pressed my lips together and said, "Well, the first two I could figure out easily. Chamomile, like the tea my grandmother makes, and caramel, like the cookies my grandfather and I made before he died. But the last one.. it's much harder."

Harry's brow scrunched at my words. "I'm still having trouble with the last smell myself."

I glanced out of the room, noting how it was nearing evening. An idea popped in my head, and I began gathering up my stuff quickly. I reached out for Harry's hand and pulled him through the library and down to the dungeons. At the entrance to Snape's office, I said, "wait here."

I swept into Snape's office to find him seated behind his desk. He raised an eyebrow at my entrance. "Miss Scott. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

I gave him a smile, "I'd like to look at my potion sample, sir. For the essay."

Snape nodded his head. "It's over there. Bring it back here when you're finished."

I nodded, taking the potion and leaving the room. Harry was waiting for me, and I asked, "Do you know of a place where we won't be bothered?"

This time it was my turn to be led through the school, where we stopped at a blank wall. I gave Harry a weird look as he paced in front of the wall a few moments. Finally, a door entered and he pulled me through it.

"This is the Room of Requirement, it appears for whatever you desire." Harry's voice echoed through the room as we entered. A comfy couch appeared with a soft pop.

Harry and I sat on the couch, where I uncorked our potion. We took turns smelling the potion before I corked it. A table appeared, and I set it on there.

"What did you smell?" I asked him, turning my body so I was facing him.

Harry mimicked my motion. "The same things as before, but the last one. Still hard to figure out. But it makes me think of France. And fields of something.."

I glanced over the room and thought a moment. France. Field of what? I slipped my robe from my shoulders and as I did so, Harry's eyes widened. His jaw dropped a bit as he stared at me.

"Stand up a moment," he asked, his voice a bit incredulous.

I stood in front of him where he sat, and he rose up quickly. I moved back and tripped over his bag. As I fell to the floor in what was a recurring theme for me, Harry caught me again. This time, he kept me close to him. Standing so close to him, breathing in each other's scent, I smelled the woody, yet spicy scent from the potion.

Harry's voice was soft. "What is that perfume?"

My voice came out in a whisper. "Lavender. Specially made in France for me by my father."

Silence reigned between Harry and me for a moment. He kept me close to him as he asked, "What did you smell, Brooke?"

I knew it was his scent. So I told him. "Spicy, woody. Cologne."

Harry briefly smelled his sleeve, but I knew it was him. Standing there in the room of requirement, staring into his eyes, I wasn't sure what the next move was going to be. I smelled part of him in the potion, and he smelled me. Where did we go from here? His emerald eyes reflected my thoughts back at me. Standing so close to him gave me the chance to look at him in a different light. He was taller than me, his body lean and sculpted from years of quidditch. His raven black hair was messy, standing up in all directions, but his eyes. Those piercing emerald orbs grew even darker as he stared at me.

My breath hitched as he leaned his head closer, closing the distance between us. His lips were soft and gentle as they caressed my own. His hands roamed over my back, holding me tight against him. I felt one of his hands slide through my dark hair, and against my better judgement, a soft moan left my lips as he kissed the side of my neck. In that moment, I realized what was happening. What was I doing? What good could come of this pairing? A Slytherin and a Gryffindor?

I hurriedly grabbed my robes and bag and left the room. As I ran into the coldness of the Slytherin common room, I only craved the safety of my bed. Safely shut up in my bed, I wrapped my arms around myself and tried to forget the feel of his lips on mine, how my heart beat faster as he held me in his arms. We each smelled the other in the potion we'd brewed, and I was afraid of what that meant for me. I could still feel his lips on mine, feel his hands in my hair as I curled on my bed and sobbed. What was going to happen now?


	2. Who is Brooke?

**AN: I have no beta this time around, so all mistakes are mine. Also, sorry it's taken so long for me to post this, life has been busy. Really busy. Also, I don't own Harry Potter. I'm not JKR. As always this is AU, and I hope to find the time to write out the outline for the third chapter soon, fingers crossed. Enjoy!**

I watched Brooke run out of the room, her thick hair streaming behind her. I ran my fingers through my hair and a frustrated groan slipped through my lips. How was it that what I smelled in the cauldron was her perfume? And there was no way I could have mistaken that for any other commercially manufactured perfume. She said it was specially made for her in France.

"Damn!" I swore, kicking the couch.

I glanced over at the table where our potion rested. I needed to return it to Snape, and it would give me time to think on the kiss we shared. It was amazing, no doubt of that. But it was no secret that our houses hated each other. How would we even try to have a romance?

I picked up the potion and walked down to the classroom. I tried not to think about how the Slytherin common room must be close by as I entered and stood outside Snape's office. Steeling my Gryffindor courage I knocked on his door. Snape opened his door and glanced down his hooked nose at me with disdain written all over his face. His greasy black hair hung down his back.

"Potter. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Snape's voice was full of undisguised malice as he sneered at me.

I held up the bottle, "I wanted to return this. It's the potion I brewed."

Snape eyed the bottle in my hands with distaste for a moment before his eyes slipped to the empty space next to me.

He raised an eyebrow, "And where is Miss Scott?"

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other as I thought up a lie, "Um, she had to go to the owlery?"

There was a silence as Snape stared at me. I watched his gaze flicker to his private potion stores, where Veritaserum rested on the shelf next to the Polyjuice potion.

"Very well." He held out his hand for the bottle and carefully took it from me without touching me.

He turned his back and the shut the door, the sound echoing in the empty classroom. I rolled my eyes and walked out of the cold dungeons. I kept my eyes on the stone floor below as I tried and failed to not think about Brooke. Never in a million years did I ever think I would kiss a Slytherin. I also never would have pictured myself being the unique position I was in now.

The war was over, and while the victory that he'd helped achieve for the light was a triumph, it had come at a terrible price. He could still remember all those who'd lost their lives in a cause they believed in, and losses on both sides rankled.

Ginny. Harry sighed as he thought about her. War changed a person, and it made him look at people much differently than he did before. He'd broken up with Gin before he went on the run during the last part of the war. When the war was over and victory was assured, he picked up where he left off with her, but with new eyes. It wasn't that he'd changed during the time they'd been apart, but she had as well.

There was a lot of things they fought over, and by the time he received his letter from the Headmistress, letting him know he was welcome to take his final year over again, he noted the change in Ginny. She pushed him to be an auror, saying he didn't need to go back to school. But something in him wanted to have one year of school with no madman after his life. He wanted normalcy, like any other teenage boy.

It was on the train to Hogwarts that he noted something off in Ginny's behavior. While she hadn't expressed any of her changing feelings, she began spending more time with Neville. Watching her closely, Harry saw that the two had grown closer while he was off and on the run in the final year of the war. The old Harry would have stubbornly refused to see that his girlfriend was falling in love with another wizard, but the new Harry knew happiness was a precious commodity.

So one afternoon, as they walked together in Hogsmeade, Harry ended things with Ginny. She took it well, although tears shone in her eyes. Harry gently pushed her towards Neville, letting her know she had his blessing. It was no surprise to him weeks later to see the two holding hands in the halls.

Harry had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady and mumbled the password. Inside the common room, he passed his friends and headed for his room. Safe behind the curtains of his four poster bed, he laid back and let his mind wander to Brooke. He didn't know much about her. House rivalries aside, Harry made his goal to find out more about Brooke Scott.

The next morning Harry's mind wandered as he ate breakfast in the Great Hall. He sipped his tea and kept his emerald eyes trained on the door, waiting for Brooke to enter. His heart skipped a beat as she walked through the doors. Her thick, dark hair was loose around her shoulders and her dark eyes were focused on the Slytherin table. Her shoulders were hunched up, almost as if she was trying to disappear.

Brooke sat down at the far end of the table. She sat alone, and no one joined her. Harry wasn't sure if she didn't have any friends or if her isolation was chosen. His brow furrowed as he watched the rest of her housemates pay no attention to her. Brooke finished eating and those dark eyes glanced up as she reached for her bag. They locked on his and Harry couldn't help the soft smile that formed on his face. The feeling must have been mutual, for a soft grin spread across Brooke's lips.

It was gone the second she realized where she was, and Harry's heart sank to the floor as she hurried out the Hall. He was so busy watching her that it took him a moment to hear Ginny as she nudged his arm, hard.

"Hey! Earth to Harry!" Ginny's voice was sharp and clear, breaking through his thoughts instantly.

He shook his head and glanced at the witch seated to his left. Ginny's long red hair hung down her back and her brown eyes were filled with irritation as she looked at him.

"What's up with you? You've been staring at Brooke Scott ever since she arrived in the hall." Ginny piled her plate with food and reached for her cup of juice as she spoke.

Harry's mind only heard half of her statement. And it happened to be the half that heard her say Brooke's name.

"You know her?" He spoke the words softly he didn't want anyone overhearing their conversation.

Ginny furrowed her brow, "Yeah. I know her. She comes from a Pureblood family. But you didn't answer my question. Why were you staring at her Harry?"

Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her, but he wanted to know more about her, and it was obvious he wasn't going to walk across the hall and speak to her at the Slytherin table. Harry pushed his plate away and grabbed his bag, rising.

"I'll tell you later. Gotta get to class. Room of Requirement?" He glanced at Ginny, and she nodded.

Harry thought about Brooke all day. It was hard to focus on the material he was learning when all he wanted was to talk to her. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say, but he wanted to speak with her. It was late when he met Ginny in the Room of Requirement. Gin was already seated on a fluffy couch, Neville beside her.

Neville gave him a wave, "Hey Harry. Hope you don't mind if I'm here. Ginny said you wanted to know about Brooke Scott? Her manor house is next door to Gran's. I've known her since we were little."

Harry didn't mind Neville's presence as he sat down in a chair opposite him.

Ginny gave Harry a smile, "Okay, talk. Why were you staring at Brooke Scott?"

Harry let out a large sigh. "Well, we were partnered up in potions, remember?"

Neville nodded, "oh, yeah, the love potion. The essay and stuff."

Harry nodded, "yeah. well, we each had trouble identifying the last smells and decided to meet in the library to finish the essay. I didn't want to work with her, but as we wrote our essay, she wasn't half bad. I asked her what she smelled and she told me. But since we had trouble identifying the last smells, she decided to grab our sample from Snape. I took her here, so we could have some peace while we figured out the smells."

Ginny was leaning forward, clearly interested in Harry's story. " What happened then?"

Harry leaned back in the chair, "well, I was finally making some progress when she took her robe off. It was then I smelled it again. I asked her to stand in front of me, and I could smell it more clearly. Her eyes widened as she stared at me, and I asked her where her perfume came from. She told me and it was what I smelled in the potion. I'm assuming she smelled me in the potion too, and the next thing I knew, we were kissing. It was amazing. It was wonderful. But then she broke the kiss and left."

Ginny and Neville were silent a moment. Both shared a look that he didn't understand before Neville let out a soft chuckle.

"Yeah, that sounds the Brooke I know." He broke his gaze from Ginny to meet Harry's eyes.

He was silent a moment, "As I said before, I've known Brooke for years. Her family lived next door to ours, and I spent a lot time with her, even after she was sorted in Slytherin. She was the only one of her house to be nice to me, even when she was with other housemates, which wasn't often. Brooke was the first person in her family to be sorted in Slytherin, so her parents, both proud Gryffindors, wondered why she was there. I think it had something to do with her ambition, or maybe she just wanted to be different. Brooke's Dad was a staunch supporter of Voldemort, but her mum was on the fence."

Harry leaned forward, interest written all over his face. "How did Brooke feel about him?"

Neville laughed, "She disliked the man. Her dad eventually won over her mum, and they both were branded with the dark mark after his return. When Voldemort wasn't at the Malfoy Manor, he was at her house. Especially during that last part of the war, when the Malfoy's had fallen from his favor. Brooke hated him, but he didn't hurt her because she was a Slytherin. He trusted her, above all else. Did you know, that most of the information I received in the last part of the war, those crucial bits that helped us win? I got those from Brooke. She was playing the part of the spy."

Harry saw Neville's expression change from a happy one to a sad one. He reached out and slipped his fingers through Ginny's and Harry knew he wasn't going to like what he was going to say.

"He found out. Her dad caught her talking to me, and told him. I could hear Brooke's screams from my room in Gran's manor, and it was hard. I wanted to help her, but Brooke made me promise not to. When I saw her again, she told me he tortured her, but wasn't bothered too bad by her betrayal. But she was angry with her father and.." Neville's voice trailed off as he glanced at a spot just behind me and I saw Ginny's eyes widen.

I quickly turned around. Standing just a few feet away from me was Brooke. Her shoulders were tight, her fingers curled in fists. Tears shone in her dark eyes as she looked at Neville.

Brooke's voice was shaky as she picked up where Neville left off. "I was angry with him. Father took the coward's way in this war. By picking the wrong side, by listening to the pureblood ideals that his father shouted at him. He put all of us in danger for a case of hero worship. Mum too. They stood by him as he cursed me."

Her eyes were narrowed and full of anger. "I vowed to get my vengeance."

Brooke paced back and forth in her spot. " The final battle was upon us. While the battle raged here, my parents were going to flee. Voldemort had already left, and was too pre-occupied with finding you to notice or care. But I cared. I wasn't about to let them escape."

I turned to face her catching her eye. "What happened? What was their plan?"

Brooke's dark eyes met mine. Tears filled those chocolate brown eyes as she remembered. It was obvious that this was hard for her.

Her voice was shaky, " I stayed behind at the manor. I was determined to make sure they paid for their mistake. I cornered them in the library."

Brooke stopped speaking a moment to wipe the tears that fell down her cheeks. Her eyes hardened into dark flints as she stared at the fire.

When she spoke again, her voice had no emotion to it.

"I bound them to chairs. I yelled. I screamed. Then I told them that I wasn't going to let them run off. They couldn't come back and plead the Imperius curse. I wasn't going to be trapped in a loveless marriage. I wasn't going to let them run my life. Just as I lifted my wand, ready to say the words, a soft pop behind me made me turn around. A couple of Death Eaters had returned to the manor to find my parents. Lord Voldemort wanted them by his side as he defeated Harry, and he'd finally noticed their absence."

Brooke sighed. She ran her fingers through her dark hair, glancing over at Neville. She sat down on the fluffy couch that appeared. Her eyes were sad. She gave a nod, and pulled up her legs to her chest.

When Neville spoke his voice was so soft I had to strain to hear it.

"The Death Eaters murdered her parents. They quickly figured out that they were about to flee. Since Lord Voldemort hated cowards they did what had to be done. They left Brooke alive for reasons I'm not even sure of." Neville squeezed Ginny's hand as he finished speaking.

And suddenly, it was clear. Brooke's isolation wasn't of a chosen variety. Her parents were dark lord supporters so she would never have friends from the other houses. Her own house shunned her only because even the most pureblood of houses didn't want to be associated with her.

Harry glanced over at her. She played with a strand of her hair and stared absently off into the distance.

He sat next to her and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Those two words broke a dam in her it seemed. She flung herself in Harry's arms, holding onto him tightly as she grieved. It was clear she hadn't mourned the loss of her parents, no matter her feelings for them at the end of the war. Brooke sobbed on his shoulder and he held her tightly to him. He barely noticed Ginny pulling Neville from the room.

Brooke sobbed for a long time. When her sobs turned into quiet hiccups she stayed motionless in his arms. Those dark eyes peered up at him from underneath her eyelashes were a couple of tears still clung. Her cheeks were flushed with color and and he breathed in her scent. Lavender. He felt a calm feeling spread through his chest.

Brooke pressed her nose into his chest, inhaling his scent. Her whole body seemed to relax. He stared at her and knew he wasn't about to let her run away again. He moved slowly, using his thumb and forefinger to wipe her tears away. His heart skipped a beat. Her skin was so soft. Brooke's breath hitched in her chest, and she reached up to wipe away the tears he hadn't realized he was crying.

His heart beat faster as Brooke's tongue parted her lips. She licked her lips once, her dark eyes dilated as she stared at him. Harry leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers again. Brooke melted in his arms, her hands sliding up his robes. Harry slipped his fingers through her dark hair, pressing soft kisses to her cheeks and forehead as he struggled to catch his breath.

His voice was soft, " Why did you run away?"

Brooke glanced down at his waist, her fingers toying with his red and gold tie. " Because you are a Gryffindor. I'm a Slytherin. What good could come of us? I'm already shunned and whispered about as it is. I didn't want you to be whispered about as well."

Harry chuckled softly. "I've already had people whisper about me my entire life. I'm not afraid of what others say about me. And you shouldn't be either Brooke. I want to be with you and I don't care what they might say about us."

Brooke's eyes darted up to his a moment. Something gleamed in the depths of her eyes and a beautiful grin lit her face up. She pressed her lips to his softly, sending sparks traveling across his lips and down his arms.

"I'd like that too. So, the fact that I'm a Slytherin doesn't bother you?" She asked

Harry shook his head, "No. I don't care about what house you're in. I don't care if you're a pureblood or a muggle born. All I care about is what's in your heart, and I can't wait to get to know what's in your heart."

Harry wrapped his arms around Brooke tightly, breathing in her scent. She stood and slipped her fingers through his as they exited the room. She kept those shining eyes on his even as the whispers in the hall grew. Harry glanced at her as she led them into the Great Hall with a smile. She sat with him at the Gryffindor table and determinedly kept her face away from the Slytherin table.


End file.
